MOVE FORWARD | Candace Tossas

In Chapters 13-15 of Acts, we read about Paul and Barnabas’ first journey to preach about Jesus. He and Barnabas were attacked by mobs three times… three times!

Now, I’ve never been attacked by a mob, but I imagine that if I was and I survived, I would be on the first flight back home. No, thank you. The thing that blows my mind about Paul and Barnabas is that they don’t stop moving forward. 

After they were beaten up the first time and chased out of town in Acts 13:50, they moved on to the town of Iconium and the ‘believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 13:51-52).

In Acts 14:5, Paul and Barnabas get word of a mob planning to stone them, so they flee to the next town and continue to preach the Good News (Acts 14:7).

Then, in Acts 14:19, a group of Jews incite a mob against them and they stone Paul so badly that they thought he was dead! But after he gets up, Acts 14:20 says that the next day, he and Barnabas left for Derbe where they continued to preach the Good News. 

Paul and Barnabas were not superhuman — they were very real and normal people just like you and me — but they were living empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Most of us will never encounter persecution like they did, but no matter what situation we face, we can trust that God’s strength empowers us. It’s the same strength that empowered them to keep pressing on!

So instead of being discouraged and turning back, we can move forward with joy and excitement to tell others the Good News of Jesus.